In a world divided by politics, denominations, and doctrinal disagreements, we often look for ways to distinguish who’s “in” and who’s “out.” Is it the way we baptize? The name on the church sign? The theological statements we affirm? But Jesus cut through all of that with a single, unmistakable command: “Love each other.”

That’s it. That’s the identifying mark of a follower of Jesus.

In the early days of the church, when Christians faced persecution, believers had to find ways to identify each other discreetly. One such method was the ichthys, the simple fish symbol. When meeting someone new, a Christian might draw one arc in the dust. If the other person completed the fish, they knew they were in safe company. It was a quiet symbol of shared belief. But while the fish marked one another in secret, Jesus said love would be the visible sign to the world.

Tertullian, a second-century Christian writer, famously described how the pagans of Rome viewed the early believers: “See how they love one another!” That’s what stood out. Not their theological precision. Not their rituals. Not even their preaching. It was their love, a love that reached across social classes, that embraced the sick and the outcast, that gave generously and forgave deeply.

Imagine if that were still the first thing people noticed about Christians today.

Too often, we let lesser things divide us. We argue over who’s doing church the right way. We draw lines over politics or preferences. And in doing so, we sometimes lose sight of the very thing Jesus told us would reveal Him to the world.

The fish might have helped early Christians identify one another, but love is how the world is supposed to identify us.

Love isn’t optional. It’s the command. And not just any love, but the kind Jesus showed: sacrificial, patient, persistent. Love that gets its hands dirty. Love that holds space for differences. Love that serves, listens, and forgives.

If we want the world to know Jesus, then we must start by living out this one identifying mark He gave us.

Lord Jesus, you didn’t say the world would know us by our buildings or beliefs, but by our love. Teach us to love as you loved: boldly, humbly, and without condition. Let our lives reflect the grace we’ve received. May those who meet us say, “See how they love.” Amen.

Today’s devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Several years ago, I was heading up a USAID project in Southern Africa and I found myself in Mozambique at an agricultural experiment station. The grant I had contained little room for unplanned expenses. But with that grant, we trained more than 15,000 farmers in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and greatly improved corn yields for those farmers.

But on this day, I needed to go to another location. I found a minibus going that way, and I paid the equivalent of about $5, and got in. Occupancy should have been twelve, but I counted more than 20 people. It took us 5 hours to go about 130 miles.

I got the seat on the hump next to the driver and had to put my arm around him so I could breathe. The bus was hot, everyone was sweaty, and the smell of the disinfectant used to clean wounds was thick. Many on the bus had bandages on extremities and eyes. But everyone had a smile.

The driver said that just about all the passengers were going to a hospital for surgery or follow-ups, Many made the trip weekly. The road was awful. The potholes were huge and could be more than 4 feet deep. We hit one and had to sit on the edge of the pothole and to wait for the water to evaporate so the engine would start. The temperature climbed past 100..

I was hungry. My breakfast had been gone for hours. In my backpack I had two packets of cookies.. I got a package out, opened it, and then handed them back to the seat behind me. I did the same with the other package. I had just given away all of my food and had kept nothing for me.

Soon there was a tap on my shoulder and a small bag of potato chips to share, some salty crackers followed, and some homemade food and there were always smiles and thank you’s given. Then one of my cookie packets came back with one cookie left in it. The lady behind me took it out and handed it to me. And then the other one came back with one left, and it was handed to me. The kindness brought tears to my eyes.

I have so much to learn. And that day I learned the lesson Mom and Dad tried to teach me. If you put others first, good things will happen.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that practicing generosity is what you expect of all who walk with you. Amen.

This devotion was written by Neal Esh and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

In 2022, along with others, I followed a program to read the entire Bible. When we read this selection from Isaiah, some editions subtitled it “False and True Worship.” The jest of the passage is that true worship is a lot more than attending a gathering to sing a few songs, follow a ritual, say a prayer and say the right words. It is also how we think and act and what we say outside those gatherings.

Does this mean that when we serve or deliver food to others that these can be times and acts of worship? Does this mean that if by our circumstances we cannot do any of these activities personally but support them, that this can be an act of worship?

If yes, does it affect the way we approach and go about these activities?

I think that the answer is yes. These can be more than “feel good” activities. If done in a way that is an expression of reverence to God, they are part of true worship. Approached as a part of worship they not only feed the body, but feed the soul, ours and theirs.

Ever present and loving God, forgive us when we fail to honor and reverence you. Help us share what you have given us in a way that pleases you. Amen

This devotional was written by Alvin Jenkins and read by Owen Ragland.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.